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Please tell me Senate Bill 59, which would allow guns in churches and schools, is not real and that Gov. Rick Snyder is not prepared to make it law, with immediate effect just hours after the slaughter of school children by a gunman in Newtown, Conn.

How many more times are we going to let this happen in America? How many more examples of unrestricted gun use must we endure? How many more children must die, Gov. Snyder? Use your veto, please!

George Long

Troy

Tighter laws needed

The report of our honorable legislators considering additions to a law that honestly should be repealed yet is up for expansion makes one wonder what our nation is coming to.

The recent shootings at a school in Connecticut and at a mall in Oregon should be reasons for legislators to consider tighter gun control laws. Joel Johnson, R-Clare, and 68 other members who voted for the Michigan gun bill are nothing more than extremist. They want to mask this legislation as "pro-public safety," when in reality they are trying to appeal to gun advocates.

Bill Carr

Detroit

Failed gun control

The families of the children and adults killed in Connecticut have the government to blame for allowing weapons taken from a dwelling.

I was a military officer and part of my uniform was a .45 pistol. I do not use a weapon anymore and no one should be outside without a valid permit that says they need it in their business.

How many have to be killed before we stop the slaughter?

Curtis R. Jacobson

Detroit

Unintended outcomes

The GOP/tea party-controlled Michigan Legislature needs to start doing a better job of thinking through the avalanche of new laws they have been ramming through during their current session.

Their latest proposal to allow so-called "trained" gun owners to carry weapons in places such as schools, day care centers, stadiums and churches, shows just how far out of touch they are.

After the shooting and killing of more than two dozen adults and children at an elementary school in Connecticut, we can only hope that Snyder vetoes the Michigan bill, to give the backers of this legislation time to better think through the ramifications of their proposal.

We saw how the fireworks bill had unintended consequences this past year. Hopefully it doesn't take a full blown shootout at a Lions, Tigers, Wolverines or Spartans sporting event, or more tragically another murder of school children, to bring some sanity to this issue.

William D. Krull

Roseville

Who's responsible?

By now we are all aware of the horrible tragedy that has occurred in the elementary school in Connecticut. Is it not ironic that our Michigan legislators have just passed a bill allowing guns in schools and churches? What were they thinking?

Allowing such a bill to pass only fuels the possibility of that kind of situation to occur here in Michigan. I urge each of you, my fellow voters, to investigate who among our legislators voted to pass that bill, and vote them out of office as soon as possible.

Tommy Bruce

Dearborn

Time to stand up

This would be a good time for Gov. Rick Snyder to find a reason to oppose the crazies in his party about their mania for ever-growing gun freedom.

Since the governor has a hard time opposing them on his own, 20 dead elementary school children might supply enough strength to his backbone to use the veto power we've given governors to control the excesses of legislators who only need a handful of other crazies to stay in office.

We need the governor to stand up for all the people in this state once in a while.

Barry McGhan

Fenton

Put the guns down

Please, please stop the killing. My God people, we have to stop the mindless killing. Pro gun/anti-gun, we all must put a stop to this now. Where are we safe -- schools, malls, workplace, pumping gas, in your own home?

Seek help. Put the guns down, before it's too late.

James Fox

Highland

Processing Friday's senseless shooting

When you hear about something as awful as the shooting that took place in Conn. today, you just stop. You freeze. You listen, you read, but you donít respond. Itís like time stops you in your tracks, hits your entire body against a brick wall and youíre in shock. You canít respond because the enormity of the situation hasnít sunk in yet. You could live a few miles away from the school or on the other side of the country and still feel that same pause in time. That moment as your brain races to try and put the story together. It doesnít make sense. It doesnít connect. You just canít figure out why someone would ever think to do something so terrible. Without the full story figured out, youíre just as confused as the people in the situation.

After a while, though, time starts moving again. You start to feel yourself breathe. You can understand the thoughts racing through your head, and it hurts. Your stomach begins to twist and turn and knot. You think about the children, the families, the teachers. You take a long, hard look at the real damage. You relate it to yourself and think about what you wouldíve done in that situation. Tears begin to well in your eyes. Emotions, many different ones, begin to race through your heart. Sadness. Distress. Betrayal. Disgust. You get sad. You get mad. You talk to friends, family, co-workers, and they all feel the same. You talk about the terrible world we live in, how things are so different now than they were back then, other incidents similar to this one. All of you agree and have the same ideas, beliefs, and morals. Yet in the end, it happened. You canít change that. You canít hug the families that lost their children. You canít bring them back. You canít go back in time and stop the shooter. All you can do is pray for those families and people; for those children. You can go home to your families, your children, your loved ones, and hug them. Tell them you love them. Be thankful for what, and who, you have. Appreciate every moment together, and never forget how much you love these people. There are bad people out there. Bad things are going to happen. We can try and stop these people to the best of our ability, but some will succeed. We must not let them break us. We must stand tall and stand together against these actions. Keep those affected in your thoughts and prayers and hope for the future to get better.